Merchandise display structure

ABSTRACT

A merchandise display structure includes a plurality of spaced base members positioned on a supporting surface and having a plurality of spaced recesses in an upper edge thereof to receive a lower end portion of a respective standard therein and top members with recesses for receiving the upper ends of the standards and a plurality of vertically spaced support rails arranged in horizontally aligned pairs extending between adjacent standards and clampingly engaging the standards to support planar members on upper edges of the support rails. The standards have a resilient coating on an exterior surface thereof and the support rails have jaw portions clampingly engaging the resilient coating for support thereon.

United States Patent Bushyhead 1 Sept. 4, 1973 [54] MERCHANDISE DISPLAY STRUCTURE 1,969,957 8/1934 Zimmerman 108/101 2,919,817 1 1960 [75] Inventor: Jess C. Bushyhead, Kansas City, Mo. 3,462,021 811969 [7 3] Assignee: Hallmark Cards, Incorporated, 3,589,746 lo/ [969 Kansas City, Mo. Primary Examiner-James T. McCall [22] Filed 1972 Assistant ExaminerG1enn O. Finch [21] Appl. No.: 242,674 Attorney-Claude A. Fishburn, Orville 0. Gold et a1.

[52] US. Cl. 108/111, 108/153, 108/106 [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl A47b 3/00 [58] Field of Search 1118/22-25, A mel'chandlse display Strum! Includes a P y of 101, 111, 112, 106; 21 1/177, 182, spaced base members positioned on a supporting sur- 148; 248/235, 230; 204/296-299; 256/10, 19 face and having a plurality of spaced recesses in an upper edge thereof to receive a lower end portion of a 5 References Cited respective standard therein and top members with re- UNITED STATES PATENTS cesses for receiving the upper ends of the standards and 9 a plurality of vertically spaced support rails arranged in 2 g 108/106 X horizontally aligned pairs extending between adjacent 3080l49 3/1963 g r?" standards and clampingly engaging the standards to 32084O8 9/1965 Maslow: support planar members on upper edges of the support 3:669:413 6/1972 Laible rails. The standards have a resilient coating on an exte- 3,536,016 10/1970 Che 1 rior surface thereof and the support rails have jaw por- 2,999,599 9/1961 Jentzen.... tions clampingly engaging the resilient coating for sup- 1,022,568 4/1912 Sideman port thereon. 1,349,125 8/1920 Full 1,815,858 7/1931 Lifschultz 211/182 2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures 32 J 1, 33 I C33 l I it 1 m PM l 4%- I II ll 1| 7\ N1 5\ I r4 4, 1| I a l 1* We l 1 r t PATENTED SE? 4 I973 SHEU 1 BF 2 MERCHANDISE DISPLAY STRUCTURE The present invention relates to display stands or racks and, more particularly, to merchandise display structures having adjustable shelving and support rails having jaw portions clampingly engaging a resilient coating on upright standards.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a simple, inexpensive merchandise display structure adapted to display articles of merchandise and which is constructed of a minimum of parts and which can be quickly assembled, adjusted, and disassembled; to provide such a merchandise display structure providing unique fixturing and shelf arrangements which may be color-coded to provide a quick and visual association with each of a plurality of major classi fications of articles of merchandise displayed in respective sections thereof; to provide such a merchandise display structure contributing to an attractive merchandising system and store decorations wherein the entire article may be displayed; to provide such a merchandise display structure which is extendible horizontally and which includes lighting directed toward the articles of merchandise to enhance the visual impact thereof; to provide such a merchandise display structure having vertically adjustable shelves for a versatile arrangement for displaying the articles of merchandise; to provide such a merchandise display structure adapted to support substantial loads; to provide such a merchandise display structure having upstanding standards each having a resilient coating on an exterior surface thereof to cooperate with jaw portions of support rails to support same and shelving with merchandise thereon; and to provide such a merchandise display structure which is pleasing and interesting in appearance and formed of light, simple, and inexpensive members, stable and durable in use, and particularly well adapted for the proposed use.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments illustrating various objects and features of the merchandise display structures of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a merchandise display structure embodying features of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing base members joined at a comer of the merchandise display structure.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing base members joined at a corner of the merchandise display structure. I

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a single base member with portions broken away to show means for leveling same and for receiving a lower end portion of a standard therein.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through a support rail and taken on line 5-5, FIG. 3 and showing means for effecting clamping engagement of the support rail with a standard.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified merchandise display structure having top and from members enclosing upper ends of the standards.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view with portions broken away to show closure members and lighting therein.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line 8--8, FIG. 6. Referring more in detail to the drawings:

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be under-. stood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as lim iting but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriate detailed structure.

In the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a merchandise display structure including a plurality of spaced base members 2 positioned and arranged on a supporting surface 3 and having a plurality of spaced recesses in an upper edge thereof to receive a lower end portion of a respective standard 4 therein and a plurality of vertically spaced support rails 5 arranged in horizontally aligned pairs extending between adjacent standards 4 and clampingly engaging the standards 4 to support planar members or shelves 6 on upper edges of the support rails 5 have jaw portions clampingly engaging the resilient coating for supporting the support rails 5 and the planar members 6 thereon.

It is desirable to adjust the base members 2 relative to the supporting surface 3 so that an upper edge 7 is substantially horizontal and level. Therefore, as best seen in FIG. 4, each base member 2 preferably has a bore 8 adjacent each of the opposite ends thereof. A sleeve member 9 is mounted in a lower portion of the bore 8 and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced keeper members 10 extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the sleeve member 9 and penetrating the base member 2 adjacent a lower edge 11 thereof to secure the sleeve member 9 in the basemember 2. The sleeve member 9 is internally threaded to receive a threaded shaft 12 having a pad or glide 13 on a lower end thereof and a slot 14 in an upper end thereof to receive a suitable tool, (not shown) such as a screwdriver or the like, for vertically adjusting the pad or glide 13 to raise or lower the respective end portion of the base member 2 for levelling the upper edge 7 thereof.

The upper edge portions of the base member 2 have upwardly opening recesses 15 to receive and support a lower end portion of a respective standard 4 therein.

FIG. 4 illustrates a single base member 2 and FIG. 2 illustrates a base member 2 arranged at a corner or at an intersection of two sections or portions of the merchandise display structure 1. In the structure illustrated in FIG. 2, a connecting base member 16 for each end of the base member 2 is supported thereon and extends between adjacent base members 2. A suitable bracket 17 is suitably secured or mounted on interior faces 18 and 19 of the base member 2 and connecting base member 16 respectively at the intersection thereof; as by a plurality of suitable fastening members, such as screws 20.

The standards 4 may be rods or tubes and in the illustrated structure, the standards 4 are each elongated tubular members preferably metal, 'such as aluminum or steel, and have a coating 21 on an exterior surface thereof. The coating 21 permits color coding respective sections or portions of the merchandise display structure l to provide a quick and easy visual association with each of a plurality of major classifications of articles of merchandise displayed therein. The coating 21 is preferably a resilient material, such as vinyl or the like, which will be compressed by the jaw portions, as later described, of the support rails and which will return to an original or uncompressed shape when the jaw portions of the support rails 5 are removed therefrom to thereby permit vertical adjustment of the support rails 5 along the respective standards 4.

The support rails 5 are each illustrated as a pair of facing planar portions 22 and 23 having facing recesses 24 and 25 respectively in facing surfaces thereof for each standard to be engaged. The facing recesses 24 and 25 extend vertically and are arranged in aligned pairs in facing surfaces of the planar portions 22 and 23 and positioned adjacent respective opposite ends thereof to define jaw portions at opposite ends of the support rails 5 to clampingly engage the coating 21 on the standards 4.

Effecting clamping engagement of the respective jaw portions of the support rails 5 with the respective standards 4 and the resilient coating 21 on the standards 4 is effective to support the rails 5 on the standards 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the planar portions 22 and 23 have aligned bores 26 and 27 respectively therethrough and positioned adjacent the facing recesses 24 and 25 in each of the opposite end portions thereof. A keeper member 28 is fixedly mounted in one of the bores, for example, bore 26 in planar portion 22, and has a sleeve portion which is internally threaded to receive a suitable fastening member or screw 29 extending through the other bore 27 and having a slot in a head portion 30 thereof which is adapted to receive a suitable tool, such as a screw driver or the like (not shown), for effecting movement of the planar portions 22 and 23 toward each other and thereby holding the jaw portions thereof in clamping engagement with the coating 21 on the respective standard 4.

The planar portions 22 and 23 of each support rail 5 are maintained together by suitable ties or bands 31 positioned adjacent respective opposite ends thereof. The ties for bands 31 are preferably removed, as by cutting, after the support rails 5 are in the desired position and the fastening member 29 is adjusted in the keeper member 28 to secure the planar portions 22 and 23 in the desired position on the respective standard 4.

The merchandise display structure 1 includes a plurality of top members 32 mounted on upper ends of the standards 4 and extending between adjacent standards. It is preferable that the top members 32 have suitable recesses in respective lower edges 33 thereof to receive therein an upper end portion of a respective standard 4 therein.

Erection of a merchandise display structure 1, such as illustrated and described, is extremely fast and simple and requires only arranging the base members 2 on the supporting surface 3 in the desired pattern or arrangement, leveling the base members 2 and the connecting base members 16, when present, by means of a suitable tool inserted into the bore 8 and received in the slot 14 to thereby adjust the respective threaded shaft 12 vertically to level same, mounting or positioning a bottom planar member 34 on the upper edges 7 of the base members 2 and the base members 2 are fine leveled, mounting or positioning the standards 4 in the recesses 15 in the upper edge 7 of the base members 2 and then arranging the desired number of support rails 5 in the desired locations and the respective jaw portions thereof are then urged into clamping engagement with the coating 21 on the standards 4 by means of tightening the fastening members or screws 29 in the respective keeper members 28. The tie or band 31 is then cut and the planar members or shelves 6 are then supported on the upper edges of the support rails 5. The top members 32 are mounted on respective upper end portions of the standards 4, and the respective items of merchandise are then displayed on the planar members or shelves 6 as desired.

FIG. 6 to 8 inclusive illustrate a modified display structure 40 having top members 41 mounted on upper ends of a plurality of standards 42. Front panels 43 are suitably secured to the top members 41 and are arranged generally vertically to enclose the upper portion of the modified display structure 40.

Lighting is extremely helpful in properly displaying certain articles of merchandise, therefore, light housings 46 are mounted in the closure members 44 and positioned to illuminate merchandise displayed on the planar members 45 therebelow. The light housings 46 have suitable bulbs 47 therein. The light bulbs 47 may be any desired type, such as incandescent or fluorexcent, as desired, and suitable spotlights may be combined therewith for special effects.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described certain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to these specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and shown.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A merchandise display structure comprising:

a. a plurality of elongated spaced base members each having a lower edge and an upper edge and adapted to be positioned on a supporting surface, said base members each having a plurality of spaced upwardly opening recesses in the upper edge thereof with at least one of said upwardly opening recesses being adjacent each end of said base members;

b. a plurality of elongated generally cylindrical standards arranged with a standard for each of said upwardly opening recesses in said base members and each having a lower end portion thereof received within said respective recess with the respective standard extending upwardly therefrom;

c. a resilient coating on an exterior surface of each of said standards;

d. a plurality of support rails extending between ad jacent standards and arranged in horizontally aligned pairs and having upper edges, said support rails being vertically spaced and each being a pair of spaced elongated planar members with facing recesses defining vertically extending openings to receive a respective standard portion therein, said support rails each having means thereon and adjacent each of said vertically extending openings therein for urging said pair of spaced planar members into clamping engagement with said respective standard portion in the respective vertically extending openings to effect compression of said resilient coating and support of said rails thereon; and

members to level the upper edge thereof; and

b. a plurality of elongated top members extending between adjacent standards and arranged generally horizontally to enclose respective upper ends of said standards, said top members each having a plurality of spaced downwardly opening recesses in a lower edge thereof with each of said downwardly opening recesses receiving an upper end portion of a respective one of said standards therein.

1 1 I I t 

1. A merchandise display structure comprising: a. a plurality of elongated spaced base members each having a lower edge and an upper edge and adapted to be positioned on a supporting surface, said base members each having a plurality of spaced upwardly opening recesses in the upper edge thereof with at least one of said upwardly opening recesses being adjacent each end of said base members; b. a plurality of elongated generally cylindrical standards arranged with a standard for each of said upwardly opening recesses in said base members and each having a lower end portion thereof received within said respective recess with the respective standard extending upwardly therefrom; c. a resilient coating on an exterior surface of each of said standards; d. a plurality of support rails extending between adjacent standards and arranged in horizontally aligned pairs and having upper edges, said support rails being vertically spaced and each being a pair of spaced elongated planar members with facing recesses defining vertically extending openings to receive a respective standard portion therein, said support rails each having means thereon and adjacent each of said vertically extending openings therein for urging said pair of spaced planar members into clamping engagement with said respective standard portion in the respective vertically extending openings to effect compression of said resilient coating and support of said rails thereon; and e. a plurality of planar members each extending between a pair of adjacent support rails and having portions engaging the upper edges thereof for support thereby and to provide support for merchandise displayed thereon.
 2. A merchandise display structure as set forth in claim 1 and including: a. means on said base members and extending downwardly from the lower edge thereof and engageable with the supporting surface for adjusting said base members to level the upper edge thereof; and b. a plurality of elongated top members extending between adjacent standards and arranged generally horizontally to enclose respective upper ends of said standards, said top members each having a plurality of spaced downwardly opening recesses in a lower edge thereof with each of said downwardly opening recesses receiving an upper end portion of a respective one of said standards therein. 